Chef Shots: Sue Torres

Sueños' chef explores the city's Mexican soul in Corona, Queens

Making tortillas is a serious art that takes years of practice. The key to a successful tortilla are the pockets of water that form in the masa (corn flour) batter. They expand into bubbles when the water turns to steam, giving the tortilla its moistness. “If it rises like that, that means you have a lot of love in your heart,” Torres explains. “And Mexican food is all about love, because it is a lot of labor involved, and you have to really love it in order to do it.”

And if they don’t rise? “They say it’s not a good tortilla,” she adds.